WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced major revisions last week to its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) implementing procedures, marking the most significant overhaul in four decades.
Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy unveiled the reforms, which aim to cut regulatory delays, reduce costs, and speed up delivery of critical infrastructure projects nationwide. The changes consolidate six separate procedural sets into a unified department-wide order and introduce two additional revisions tailored for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and for highway, rail, and transit administrations.
Under the new approach, USDOT will enforce strict deadlines and page limits on environmental reviews, streamline categorical exclusions for routine, low-impact projects, and clarify that NEPA applies only when the agency has meaningful control over environmental outcomes.
“USDOT’s NEPA reforms will make it possible to deliver roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure projects faster and more affordably,” Secretary Duffy stated, emphasizing the administration’s focus on eliminating bureaucratic barriers.
The reforms are part of President Trump’s broader strategy to “unleash American energy” and enable large-scale infrastructure expansion. The effort builds on the 2023 BUILDER Act amendments and aligns with recent Supreme Court decisions reinforcing streamlined federal permitting.
By modernizing outdated rules — some dating back to 1985 — USDOT aims to usher in what officials describe as a “golden age of transportation,” driving economic growth and reinforcing U.S. global competitiveness in infrastructure development.
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